Category Archives: Venues

The Excitement of a Menu Tasting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is with excitement that we can tell you we have an event taking place tomorrow, a group menu tasting at Harelaw Farm in East Ayrshire.

We usually organise two tastings each year for this fabulous barn venue and 5 months ago we were all ready to go when lockdown came and the tasting had to be cancelled.

Now re-scheduled and planned to the nth degree, we have all the yumminess coming our way in less than 24 hours, whoop whoop.

Including haggis bon bons, mini Yorkshire puddings, Scottish starter platter, farmhouse steak pie, braised lamb, vegetable wellington, dauphinoise potatoes & the infamous sticky toffee pudding!!!

 

My Visit to Logan House in Wigtownshire

Logan House by Port Logan

Logan House Gardens in Late Spring ‚  Woodland surrounding Logan House

Last week I popped down to Wigtownshire to meet the owner of Logan House and to view her gardens.

Not to be confused with Logan Botanic Gardens (which was once part of the main Logan House grounds), Logan House is its own estate with a ‚  stunning feminine house at it’s centre which was built in 1702. ‚  

The beautiful gardens are open to the public, and include well manicured lawns, gorgeous rhododenrons, colourful azaleas and surrounding woodland.

Sarah’s Creative Occasions’ Visit to Hetland Hall Hotel

Stunning blue wedding car at entrance to Hetland Hall Hotel

New water feature at the front of Hetland Hall Hotel

Last month I popped across to Carrutherstown in Dumfries & Galloway to visit the Hetland Hall Hotel Wedding Fayre. ‚   Carrutherstown is a special place for me, as my parents moved us up from Ipswich in Suffolk to Scotland in 1989, and Carrutherstown became our first scottish home. ‚   In my teens I used to work at Hetland Hall Hotel, but that was well over a decade ago and this was my first visit back to Hetland Hall Hotel since I left and what a makeover it has had.

Diane and her team at Hetland have done a fantastic job of bringing Hetland Hall Hotel’s interiors up-to-date with colourful contemporary designs. ‚   One of my favourite rooms was dressed in turquoise and chocolate brown. ‚   The inside decor now complements the stunning grounds and it’s outlook across the Solway Firth, making it a wonderful ‚  venue for your Wedding.

There was a good variety of suppliers at this year’s wedding fayre, and as most of them were local to Dumfries & Galloway ‚  rather than Ayrshire, I made some new contacts. ‚   As well as meeting the exhibitors, ‚  we were given a guided tour around their newly refurbushed bedrooms, including the gorgeous honeymoon suite.

Outside the entrance to Hetland Hall Hotel, White Heather Weddings were displaying a range of their beautifully unique cars and one I fell in love with was their Lady Eleanor, an aquamarine blue Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, see the picture above.

AABW visit Dumfries House

AABW at Dumfries House

Dumfries House

On Tuesday ‚  evening, ‚  the Ayrshire Association of Business Women (AABW) ‚  enjoyed an exclusive ‚  visit to Dumfries House, which is located by Cumnock in East Ayrshire. ‚   We were treated to a private tour of the house by ‚  their guides, and ‚  our night was finished with some informal networking ‚  and a glass of ‚  wonderful champagne and canapes in hand.

Just over a year ago Prince Charles opened Dumfries House to the public, having led a consortium of charities and heritage bodies to purchase the grand estate. ‚   The ‚  house is 250 years old and was built by William Crichton, the 1st Earl of Dumfries, and was ‚  designed by the 18th century architects, the Adams brothers. ‚   It ‚  is home to a fabulous collection of Thomas Chippendale furniture.

There are some very special rooms, such as the entrance hall, dining room and the tapestry room, that feature not only the wonderful array of furniture, but also beautiful ceiling freezes and picture frames.

Dumfries House has recently ‚  obtained its Civil ceremony licence, and can cater for Weddings, as well birthday parties or any special occasion worth celebrating.

If you haven’t yet managed to visit Dumfries House, then you must go along for a guided tour of the house, to explore the gardens or try some wine tasting!

Ayrshire Wedding at Lochside House Hotel

Weddings at the Lochside House Hotel

This weekend I visited the Lochside House Hotel near New Cumnock, which is a luxurious and intimate 19th century wedding venue set in beautiful surroundings on the banks of Loch of the Lowes and overlooked by the Afton Hills.

Lynsey, the on-site wedding co-ordinator, guided me through their impressive lounges and suites. ‚   I truly loved their Glen Caol suite, which can be used for the Wedding ceremony itself, or to accommodate up to 180 dinner guests.

In addition to the views from the hotel, their gardens ‚  make quite a backdrop for some really stunning photographs.

As well as Weddings, the Lochside House Hotel can cater for private parties in one of their 6 suites and lounges so if you are looking to celebrate a birthday, wedding anniversary or another special occasion then please do have a browse of their facilities. ‚   The Lochside House Hotel will be holding their own Wedding Fayre on the afternoon of Sunday 29th March, so ‚  you can take ‚  the opportunity to visit this lovely venue for yourself.

Dining at the Brig O’ Doon

I had a Christmas lunch at the Brig O’ Doon House Hotel today, it was scrumptious and in beautiful ‚  festive surroundings (even with the wet miserable day outside). ‚   I don’t like to overdo the turkey and trimmings, so I selected the following 3 courses:

  • Chicken liver pate with garlic bread
  • Breast of chicken with haggis, neeps and tatties
  • Vanilla pavlova

Within an area of outstanding natural beauty in Alloway (birthplace of Robert Burns) ‚  the ‚  Brig O ¢ ‚¬ „¢ Doon House offers a luxurious stay and dining experience for guests. ‚   The original Inn on the site was built in 1827, and was later replaced by a hotel which was sympathetically restored and upgraded in 1988 by Costley Hotels.

I enjoyed my drive home ‚  from the Brig O’ Doon, seeing ‚  the range of Christmas lights, both outside and adorning the trees inside peoples homes. ‚   This year there seems to be a lot more blue lights being hung in gardens.

Elegant Ayrshire Weddings at Moorpark House Hotel

Moorpark House Wedding VenueMoorpark House StaircaseMoorpark House DiningMoorpark House Bedroom

This week I went to visit the Manager, Graham, of the Moorpark House Hotel, which is a beautiful and ‚  elegant country mansion by Kilbirnie in Ayrshire. ‚   Inside it has a hand-carved oak hallway, ‚  a truly stunning Gold Reception Room and Bar, a choice of ‚  three Dining Rooms (the Knox, Marble or Garden Rooms) and twelve luxurious bedrooms.

At Moorpark House Hotel, you can:

  • dine ‚  in style for an evening
  • sleep over in any one of the individually ‚  styled bedrooms ‚  that have ‚  modern decor ‚  enhanced ‚  with ‚  Victorian features
  • organise a Business conference for 8 ‚  to 90 persons
  • enjoy a private dining experience to celebrate a special occasion
  • and ultimately, it is the perfect Scottish Wedding Venue for your marriage, catering for a wedding party of up to 150 guests, with exclusive use of Moorpark House too, if you wish

So if you haven’t yet chosen a venue for your Wedding or Special Occasion, contact Moorpark House and arrange an appointment as you will be blown over by the warmth of the staff and surroundings, and the ‚  beauty of the interiors ‚  of Moorpark House.

Tis the Season of Wedding Fairs

We are amidst the season of Wedding Fairs.

I spent another day this weekend, in Glasgow at the SECC checking out the huge variety of suppliers exhibiting at the Scottish Wedding Show. ‚   It was absolutely superb, in terms of the: numbers of suppliers; range of services and products; and the quality of the displays. ‚   I met loads of wonderful people which was great to actually put the faces to the names that I’ve become familiar with over the last many months.

If you missed out on the Show this weekend, then don’t fret as there are still many more Fairs coming up, including:

  • Sunday 28th Sept from 12noon at the Seamill Hydro in Seamill
  • Sunday 5th Oct from 12noon at the Gailes Hotel in Irvine
  • Sunday 19th October from 1pm at the Holiday Inn in East Kilbride
  • Sunday 26th Oct from 11am at the Park Hotel in Kilmarnock

Ayrshire’s Special Occasions at Enterkine House

Enterkine House by Ayr

Sarah’s Creative Occasions has decided to extend our News Blog to include a “Feature of the Month”, and for July we have chosen the venue for all Special Occasions, Enterkine House.

We were introduced to Louis, the Manager, just recently when we took a drive out to the country to see their new luxury Marquee, which can cater for up to 200 guests. ‚   It’s a permanent marquee, and the first of its kind in Ayrshire. ‚   ‚  The marquee provides a tranquil and beautiful ambience, with high quality facilities.

Enterkine House can also host up to 70 guests, exclusively yours for the ceremony in either the Garden Room or on the front lawn, both with stunning views over the estate. ‚   Those staying over can be accommodated within the House, nearby Kirk House on the estate ‚  or in their new Woodland Lodge.

For those wishing to celebrate a Special Occasion, Enterkine House is one of the most elegant venues you will find in Ayrshire. Beyond the main reception is a grand piano and log fire, surrounded by beautiful soft furnishings. ‚   There is a private dining room for your party, and adjoining library to serve your pre-dinner drinks.

Many friends and colleagues have been to Enterkine House ‚  and have told stories of their sumptious meal and the ‚  finest dining. ‚   If you wish to know more ‚  and experience the splendour of Enterkine House ‚  contact Sarah’s Creative Occasions now.

Sarahs Creative Occasions